AN pressing warning has been issued to oldsters after 200 children died in agony from cough syrup contaminated with chemicals.
Well being authorities in Indonesia have linked instances of acute kidney damage in lots of of youngsters, largely aged below six, to numerous cough syrups.
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Signs of the life-threatening kidney situation embrace abdomen ache, vomiting, diarrhoea, incapacity to go urine and complications.
A minimum of 199 individuals, largely children, have died, sparking a probe and a ban on some liquid medication gross sales, Channel News Asia stories.
Indonesian Well being Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin mentioned ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol – chemicals often found in brake fluid and paint – had been found in the cough syrups.
The well being ministry’s spokesperson Mohammad Syahril confirmed 206 instances of acute kidney damage in children had been being investigated.
“As a precaution, the ministry has requested well being employees in well being services to not prescribe liquid medication or syrup quickly,” he mentioned.
“We additionally ask that drug shops quickly cease all gross sales of non-prescription liquid medication or syrup till our investigations are accomplished.”
In October, the sale of some syrup-based medicines was banned in Indonesia after ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol had been found in the medicines.
A dozen Indonesian households at the moment are suing the federal government and firms accused of supplying the cough syrups, based on a lawsuit.
The lawsuit targets the ministry of well being, the nation’s meals and drug company and seven firms concerned in promoting the syrups containing chemicals used merchandise such as antifreeze.
It comes after mother and father had been urged to throw out harmful cough syrups after the deaths of 170 children.
The World Well being Group issued a product alert for 4 completely different cough medicines after linking 4 Indian-made cough syrups to a handful of kid deaths who suffered acute kidney failure in The Gambia, West Africa.
The WHO warned the contaminated merchandise could have been distributed to different nations.
It mentioned it’s “vital to detect and take away these substandard merchandise from circulation” in order to stop hurt.
In a warning to oldsters, WHO mentioned: “In case you have these substandard merchandise, please DO NOT use them.
“Should you, or somebody you recognize, have used them or suffered any antagonistic response/occasion after use, you’re suggested to hunt rapid medical recommendation from a professional healthcare skilled and report the incident to the Nationwide Regulatory Authority.”
